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I was raised in a moderately religious family where education was given priority. We attended religious events and participated in religious rituals but it was never imposed on us. It simply became a part of life for me that I didn't give much thought to. I am a logical person so there have been many occasions in my life when I have questioned my faith.

I'm just a blind minstrel and there on your doors
I play on my banjo some old forlorn scores
Crowds gather sometimes like clouds in late May
and sometimes it's just you on a lonesome bleak day
You whispered, hey, people are bored, they just go
I stopped for a while and then told you, I know.

I am a university teacher and have intention to continue research work in a developing country like Bangladesh. We have few resources and rare funding in doing research in tertiary level. Not only government but also private organization is not interested to invest money in basic research work. So it is difficult for a new researcher to continuing his/her work.

Cancer is a short C-word with a heavy, cold and lonely feeling. Cancer survivors live with that feeling every day of their life.

Life had its twists and turns, yet you had a life before cancer. At least, you were allowed to have dreams about life. Cancer puts a sudden end to those dreams. Cancer turns you from a “woman” to a “survivor”.

First, the readers may wish to have a look onto the comparative statement of the scale and damage between Cyclone Sird in Bangladesh (2007) and Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar (2008).

Not so long ago, Administration department used to be the heavyweight wing of an organisation but personally I did not find much of its own work other than managing and maintaining utilities, leases, legalities, etc. Two crucial strategic and operational functions of an organisation, i.e. Human Resources and Supply & Logistics were covered under the sheet namely administration. However, good thing is the management bodies of comparatively younger generation have rightly understood the necessity of splitting the administration into several pieces. It has helped the functions like HR and S&L to own their identity and get recognition for their own achievements rather than being apprised as a good ‘admin’ fellow.

[NB: This piece is taken from a diary entry from 2010 when I was briefly interning for a charity. Sadly, the contents still remain relevant.]

I'm drafting a consultation paper for DFID (Department for International Development) on maternal mortality. Doing the research has been difficult. It has been pretty damn awful really. I've basically spent the last couple of days going through a catalogue of all the horrific atrocities inflicted on women and young girls across the world, all in the name of tradition, custom, honour, religion. There may not be much in common between the troubled Somalia and the up-and-coming-nearly-developed India, but one thing that connects the two is the fact that women and girls of both the countries continue to face violence. The forms may vary wildly from female genital mutilation to sex-selective abortion, but the victims are the same group of human beings - women.

Translation from Himu's- উদ্ধারকাজে নিজস্ব প্রযুক্তি ও কৌশল উদ্ভাবন আশু প্রয়োজন

The collapse of Rana Plaza has engraved a lasting sore in our mind but it’s quite urgent to think about the immediate reaction if such happens again. The policymakers urgently need to start their homework that what and how we react in such incidences. And if we know from the professional and volunteer rescuers about their experiences and limitations through public hearing, can be incorporated in this homework.

“Workers of the world, Unite.”
Ahh, the chanting that Marx started.
You know, I got the chance to meet Marx? I guess not. I did not know much about him before I met him.
Well, I don’t know whether you can hear me or not. It’s not the usual way to talk, not been preferred. Actually, it’s illegal.

[Note: This is a translation of the article তথ্য’বিনা মিথ্যা বোনা by Kaustubh, originally posted in Sachalayatan on 27-02-2013. While the facts were easy to translate, it is difficult to capture the essence and wit of the article in English. The translators strongly recommend reading the original article if you are can read Bengali.]